Image function has become one of the main reference factors for consumers to buy mobile phones, especially in recent years, the rise of short videos, more and more users have joined the trend of video shooting. User demand continues to force manufacturers to create stronger R&D capabilities. Mobile phones are not without innovation, but innovation has become more difficult, which requires manufacturers to further explore the deep water area of technology and even no man's land. In fact, in order to do a good job in the image flagship experience, it is necessary to open up the vertical integration of images.
Based on the accumulation of technology in imaging and the deep insight of users, Vivo has released its self-developed chip V1 for more than two years, as the first professional imaging chip under Vivo, making the vivo X70 series open the era of hardware-level computational photography. A few days ago, vivo launched a new and upgraded self-developed chip V1+, which not only evolved again at the image level, but also expanded the chip function to the field of performance and display, expanded support for game and video visual experience, and achieved a "core" dual use.
On April 25th, the new generation of flagship product X80 series equipped with V1+ was officially released, through multi-core collaboration, hardware-level computing photography, performance experience that breaks through bottlenecks and flagship device specifications, the product not only sets a new benchmark for high-end flagships in the industry, but also brings users an innovative technology experience and a more convenient mobile lifestyle than before.
In recent years, from the launch of micro-PTZ technology, to the establishment of a joint imaging laboratory with ZEISS, to the launch of self-developed chips V1 and V1+, vivo has fully demonstrated its technical strength in image research and development. The self-developed "V1+" is not only a successful exploration of vivo in the image, but also a rare successful transformation case in the industry - getting rid of the industry's simple emphasis on the main camera and the number of lenses. At the same time, it also brings consumers a better video shooting experience.
Grow against the trend
Dual-core vivo X80 series breakthrough image
Performance hardware "ceiling"
In the first quarter of this year, global smartphone sales fell short of expectations. IDC data shows that the smartphone market shipments in the first quarter of 2022 were 75 million units, down 13.7% year-on-year. Affected by the epidemic, IDC recently announced that it will lower its terminal market forecast for the whole year of 2022.
The market peaked, the replacement cycle was extended, and the mobile phone industry experienced an unprecedented test, but from the overall performance of domestic manufacturers last year, Vivo still achieved good results against the trend and established a brand momentum in China. Counterpoint data shows that in the whole year of 2021, Vivo successfully reached the top position in China's mobile phone market share with a market share of 22%, and shipments increased by 21% year-on-year.
"Technological innovation is the source power for vivo to move forward, an important link for vivo to connect products and users' original needs, build a core advantage to support long-term growth, and also drive the development of enterprises and industries." Hu Baishan, executive vice president of Vivo, said.
Hu Baishan, executive vice president of Vivo
In recent years, Vivo has invested heavily in technological innovation and other aspects, among which improving imaging capabilities has always been vivo's continuous investment and continues to this day's advantage, which can also be seen from vivo's newly released flagship product X80 series. Vivo X80 series is equipped with vivo self-developed chip V1+, which is both a professional image chip and a display performance chip, as a leader in dual core, it will bring a new standard for the second generation of dual-core flagship with a comprehensive improvement of compatibility and functionality.
On the vivo X80 series, the self-developed chip V1+ has once again broadened the computational photography capabilities. In extreme scenes such as dark nights, the self-developed chip V1+ can carry out more in-depth fine tuning, achieve a preview effect like "night vision instrument" in a very dark environment, and expand the real-time black light night vision function to the front and wide-angle lenses, so that the night shot is no longer blind to touch the elephant. From V1 chips to V1+ chips, vivo continues to explore the no-man's land of mobile phone image scenes and surpasses its own limits.
At the same time, through the comprehensive collaboration with ZEISS in optics, software algorithms and functions, vivo has also launched many professional photography functions on the X80 series: ZEISS texture portraits close to SLR effects, ZEISS film style with a sense of cinematic ritual, and ZEISS natural colors that truly restore what the human eye sees, so that the optics that are originally top standards can play a more extreme image effect.
With the continuous exploration of vivo and ZEISS in imaging, and the joint research and development of bottlenecks and cutting-edge technologies encountered in the mobile phone industry, this will have a profound impact on the industry and users. In addition, it is worth mentioning that with the out-of-tone teaching of the image algorithm and the in-depth cooperation with Sony, IMX866 was first launched on the vivo X80 series.
As vivo's annual flagship product, the X80 series has also been comprehensively upgraded in performance in addition to being equipped with the cutting-edge imaging capabilities of the current smartphone industry.
Hu Baishan introduced at the "Vivo Dual-core Imaging Technology Communication Meeting", "Vivo and MediaTek have invested more than 300 elite development teams since last year, and after 350 days of in-depth collaborative development of software and hardware, the V1+ chip and the Tianji 9000 have been adjusted and adjusted. The test results show that the laboratory running score of the X80 series exceeds 107W, fully releasing the performance strength of the Tianji 9000 platform, making the X80 series a veritable "King of Tianji 9000".
In addition to that, vivo has also unlocked more "hidden features" about Tianji 9000. Vivo revealed, "Through the blessing of the self-developed chip V1+, the vivo X80 series was originally a game super-scoring technology that only exists on the PC side, which can effectively deal with the problem of overheating and frequency reduction, and reduce power consumption while maintaining high image quality and high frame rate." Not only that, the vivo X80 series is also the world's first dual 5G dual standby dual-pass model, so that this "next-generation 5G mobile phone function" can be launched in advance.
The differentiated camera function and strong performance of the product make the market feel the unique innovation ability and insight of vivo, a fast-rising Chinese brand.
Ten years to sharpen a sword
The X series helps vivo break out of the high-end road with continuous innovation
In recent years, the high-end market is becoming a highland of competition among major mobile phone manufacturers. According to counterpoint Research's monthly report on mobile phone sales, sales growth of high-end smartphones around the world (with an average wholesale price of more than $400, about 2540 yuan) reached its highest growth rate of 24% last year, far exceeding the 7% growth rate of the overall smartphone market. It is worth noting that the 27% share of high-end mobile phones in the global smartphone market has also reached an all-time high.
Specific to manufacturers, vivo has achieved initial results on the road to high-end in 2021, and its high-end sales have more than doubled to 103%, which is mainly driven by the X series released in China and Southeast Asia.
Looking back at the development process of vivo X series in the past ten years, it can be seen that from X1 to X80, every scientific and technological innovation of vivo X series has brought users an unexpected surprise experience, and with the differentiated advantages of photography, performance, appearance, etc., it has gradually grown into a recognized high-end flagship in the mobile phone market and led the direction of scientific and technological innovation in the industry.
Among them, the vivo X1 released in 2012 is the world's first music mobile phone implanted with HiFi chip, and has the world's thinnest body design at that time; the vivo Xshot launched in 2014 is the world's first smartphone equipped with f/1.8 super aperture + optical image stabilization, which promotes the evolution of Android images; in 2017, Vivo put a customized DSP image chip into the X9 Plus, improving the image HDR performance of the entire mobile phone industry In 2018, vivo X20Plus became the world's first fingerprint mobile phone under the screen, leading the entire smartphone screen unlock evolution direction.
Subsequently, the vivo X series also brought the industry's first front-facing soft light dual camera, the first lifting camera, the first micro-gimbal stabilization, ZEISS T* optical lens, etc. In the second half of 2021, the vivo X70 Pro+ equipped with the self-developed image chip vivo V1 was called the "new benchmark for Android images of the year", and made vivo achieve a leading position in the price segment of 500-599 US dollars (3184-3814 yuan), from 10% on September 2020. the share increased to 20% in September 2021, becoming a breakthrough in the high-end market.
"Along the way, my biggest experience is that each generation of products has to bring subtle feelings to users. We have to provide users with enough reasons to buy, that is, what is the value of this product to the user, if not, then this product is doomed to be mediocre. Also, ensure user satisfaction with your product. So many generations of X are enough to prove this. Hu Baishan said.
By continuously launching products and features that consumers love, vivo has occupied a place in the hearts of users and has continuously expanded its mental territory. So how does this sustainable ability to innovate come about?
In this regard, Hu Baishan once vividly summarized vivo's research and development guidance ideas as "standing in the day after tomorrow to see tomorrow". This clear innovation and research and development system is actually called the "Iron Triangle System", which is product planning (user insight), technical planning and technical pre-research.
Hu Baishan said: "More than 3 years of technology, may be a little stronger in the perspective of technical planning, because the user's scene has not been completely found; in the short term, the user's angle is stronger, because the user's needs are already obvious, and it is necessary to quickly find a solution." Regardless of the stage, the technical research and development work done is a process in which product planning and technical planning coexist. ”
In addition, in the technical prediction of more than 3 years, vivo has also set up a research institute to solve the pre-judgment of the technical direction of the product for more than 36 months. Looking forward to the future, Vivo will also use up to 5 to 6 years of technical pre-research, in the direction of its own setting, according to its own rhythm, out of a path belonging to vivo.
In the eyes of industry insiders, vivo, which has been storing energy for a long time, has entered a window of opportunity for upward attack, both in terms of products and market reputation. It is believed that in the near future, vivo's cumulative breakthrough in the high-end market can achieve qualitative transformation and become a mature player in the domestic high-end market.